Ashes, Ashes
by Star-Nebula42
Summary: The Empire of Gehenna is celebrating its 15th anniversary of its victory over their sworn enemy, the former Kingdom of Assiah. Prince Rin, heir to the Gehennian throne, is taking part in the celebrations for the first time. However, his chances to celebrate are cut short when he is taken captive by a rebel group - The Knights of the True Cross. (Kingdoms AU)
1. The Beginning of the End

**Disclaimer**: I don't own BE/ANE or any of its characters!

Chapter one,

The Beginning of the End

* * *

"Can you _please_ stop doing that?" Rin pleaded after yet another pin pricked him in the side.

"I'm sorry Master Rin, but I must ask that you stay still for a little while longer. I'm nearly finished." The seamstress replied in a soft voice. She was an older woman whose eyes crinkled when she smiled, and her hair was starting to turn gray. If one didn't know any better, they could easily mistake her for a human, if not for the two small horns poking out on either side of her head.

"How could I possibly sit still? I've been locked up here for nearly two weeks and I haven't been able to do anything. Not to mention that I have to make my first royal address in Assiah in less than a day..."

"And you'll do just fine." A low, familiar voice said from the doorway.

Rin craned his neck to the side so he could get a good view of his visitor. The seamstress next to him sighed in resignation and set down one of her pins. She was never going to be able to get him to stay still.

"Ah, Lucifer. I didn't see you come in."

"You were preoccupied." Lucifer gestured at Rin standing in front of a body length mirror. Lucifer looked to the seamstress and commanded, "Leave us."

"Yes, your highness."

"Thank-" Rin tried to say, but she had gathered her things and ducked out of the room before he could get the words out,"-you."

Rin gave Lucifer a scathing glare before turning back to face the large mirror. It bothered him to no end when Lucifer, or any of his siblings for that matter, dismissed people out of hand. Servant or not, they should still be treated with respect.

Instead of fixating on negative thoughts, Rin admired the seamstress's handiwork in the mirror. It was heavy, black uniform-esque attire with blue embroidery. Blue being the color of the royal family. There were a few pins left in the side that she was working on, but other than that it looked to be one of the finest things Rin had ever worn. Additionally, he also wore dark leather boots and a thin silver crown.

_'I wonder what my coronation get-up will look like..._' Rin wondered before turning his attention back towards Lucifer.

"What if they don't bow?" Rin asked, thinking of the days ahead.

"They _will_ bow to you." Lucifer said, dismissing the conversation with a wave of his hand. He and Rin had already had this conversation a dozen times and nothing he ever said seemed to calm Rin's nerves.

Rin's eyebrows knitted together. He tried not to worry, tried to stop fretting over the little things, but there were so many things that could go wrong. Too many variables. There had been many resistance groups throughout the years that threatened the sovereignty of the empire. Yes, they were all later crushed by the empire's military forces, but the fact remained that there are still those who would happily see Rin and his family executed.

Rin looked about his temporary living quarters and sighed. The room was luxurious and great in size, but they didn't feel like home. He felt like a stranger living in a castle of ghosts.

_'I just need some fresh air._' Rin thought. He opened the doors to his balcony and stepped out. The cool breeze and starry night sky did little to help his nerves but standing alone in the night made him feel free. Below him, the dark streets of Assiah slumbered on. There was something about being awake when the world was asleep that brought him comfort.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Rin asked, gazing out at the night sky and the city below. The streets were quiet, and the chirping of the birds had long gone silent.

"It is." Lucifer agreed.

Even though Assiah was a territory of Gehenna, the two places couldn't be more different.

The crisp, clear waters and green landscapes of Assiah were a stark contrast to that of his home. Gehenna had long suffered from many years of drought and famine. The rivers ran a deep, bloody red and the water itself was undrinkable. All food and water used to either be imported into the Empire or taken from the surrounding areas.

Gehenna and its citizens lived without hope for many years, but on the night Rin was born, his father, Satan, led a successful siege on the Kingdom of Assiah and killed all of their ruling monarchs. That night, the blue banners of Gehenna flew high over the streets of Assiah.

In the empire, the people bowed down to Rin, his father, and his siblings. The people kissed the very ground they walked on and revered them. Their armies would willingly fight and die for them. Above all, the people saw Rin as a living reminder that they could overcome anything in their path.

But here in Assiah, the people didn't know him.

Not yet.

He and Lucifer stood in silence together for a while longer before Lucifer spoke up, "You should get some rest, Rin. Father will be here in the morning and you have a long day ahead of you."

"Right," Rin nodded in agreement. Tomorrow would be a long day indeed. "You should do the same."

And without another word, Lucifer turned and left the room.

Rin took one last look at himself in the mirror, while in uniform, he looked uncannily like his father. Except for the hair. His father's hair is a pale white, whereas his own is black as the night. He got it from his mother, or so he had been told. He took off his silver crown and set it on his bedside table, he peeled off his clothes, carefully to avoid getting stuck with another pin, and he set it on his dresser so the seamstress could finish it in the morning.

After getting into a comfortable pair of night-clothes, he slipped under the warm bed covers and fell into a restless sleep.

-~x~-

Rin awoke the next morning to bright beams of sunlight poking their way through the curtains. He pushed himself upright and groggily wiped the sleep from his eyes. Rin tossed his bed covers aside and slowly got to his feet. He looked around his room to find something suitable to wear. Delighted to see that his uniform was finished, he picked it off the dresser and admired the handiwork.

A knock sounded from the door, pulling at his already distracted and groggy mind. He definitely was not a morning person.

"Come in." Rin called out.

Two servants walked in, a boy and girl slightly younger than Rin himself, and bowed deeply.

"We're here to help you get ready for the day." The girl said meekly, trying her best to avoid eye contact with Rin.

"That won't be necessary," Rin said dismissively.

"Are you certain, master Rin?" The boy asked hesitantly, "With the royal address today, Prince Lucifer requested that we aid you-"

"I'm perfectly capable of getting ready myself. Why don't you two take the morning off?"

"Your highness?" The girl asked, exchanging a hopeful look with the boy, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, yes you're both free to go." Rin replied absent-mindedly, raking a hand through his disheveled hair. The royal address was today! Why didn't someone wake him up sooner? Not only that, but his father was arriving today. Hell, he was probably already waiting downstairs!

Rin took a quick shower, turning the water in the shower up until the temperature was almost unbearably hot. After that, he dried off and got dressed in the clothes the seamstress had left on his dresser. They fit snugly, but they weren't tight or restricting. He was on his way out of his room before he remembered something vital. Rin rushed back into his room and grabbed his crown from the nightstand and put it on, the familiar weight on his head was comforting.

"Which way to the dining room?" Rin asked one of the guards outside of his bedchambers. They pointed him down a set of stairs and gave a short bow.

Rin quickly descended down the stairs, almost tripping on the way down. The dining room was easy enough to find. There were two servants standing outside of it. Rin gave them a nod and they pulled open the large doors for him.

Taking long strides into the room, Rin tried his best not to show it, but he was excited to see his father. They had been apart since Rin discreetly arrived in Assiah several weeks ago.

"Hello father," Rin greeted, but his long strides faltered, and he stopped in his steps.

Rin was greeted by the sight of two of his older brothers, Lucifer and Mephisto. Two people who were definitely not his father.

"Where's father?" Rin questioned, disappointment seeping into his voice.

"Not here, brother dear." Mephisto replied playfully.

"Clearly. What are _you_ doing here?"

Rin and Mephisto never really saw eye-to-eye. Mephisto was the sort of person to create trouble and Rin tried his best to avoid it, even if it always found him. Instead of answering his question, Mephisto winked at him and proceeded to sip his tea, ignoring the question altogether.

"He won't be arriving today," Lucifer explained, setting down his drink

"What? Why not?"

"Mephisto arrived first thing this morning with a message. There's been a slight change in plans. Father and the other members of the Baal determined that it would be too dangerous to have both the king and crown prince in former enemy territory for the royal address. Especially considering recent uprisings that we've had to deal with." Lucifer explained.

Rin shook his head, "That doesn't make any sense. I can defend myself and father has fought plenty of battles single-handedly and won-"

"It is not a question of strength, Rin," Lucifer interrupted, "but a matter of security. We cannot risk losing the both of you."

Rin's shoulders stooped, "Will he be coming at all?"

"Of course, he will." Mephisto said cheerfully, "He'll be here later this week to commence the celebrations! He'll be arriving at a time where there is minimal risk of something going haywire."

"Right. Fine." Rin sighed, "I'm going to go prepare for my speech."

Rin turned on his heel and left the room. He wasn't sure how long he had until his speech and a little preparation never hurt anyone. Instead of going back to his room right away, he found himself wandering the castle. Most of the artwork from the previous royal family that occupied this castle had either been destroyed or stolen, so there was very little art to appreciate. Eventually, Rin found himself in a large, quiet courtyard. There were lavish gardens and fountains sculpted after people Rin didn't recognize.

"Do you like the gardens, your highness?"

Rin whipped around to face the person who had spoken. He had thought that he was alone in the courtyard, but there was a lone guard standing near the entrance. The guard sounded young, Rin's age at most.

"Your highness?" The guard questioned, seeing Rin's bewildered expression, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I just thought I was alone." Rin took a step closer to get a look at the guard, he didn't recognize the persons voice and only a handful of people were made aware that Rin would be attending the celebrations this year. "Who are you?" Rin tilted his head curiously, trying to get a better look at his face. The guard was young and had dark hair. His face was mostly obscured by the helmet.

"Lieutenant Jun, sir."

"Master Rin, it's nearly time!" A servant called.

Rin straightened out his back and replied, "I'm on my way."

The servant led Rin up a set of stairs into a large, circular room. There was a large set of glass doors that led out to a balcony where his speech would be made. Lucifer was there waiting for him and Mephisto, thankfully, was nowhere in sight. Rin looked to Lucifer nervously, to which his brother just gave a firm nod.

Two servants opened the glass doors and Rin stepped out on to the balcony, keeping his head held high. Even if he was nervous on the inside, he had to look cool and collected. It was what was expected of him. He surveyed the crowd; everyone had their eyes on him. There were crowds upon crowds of people below him. Hundreds, no, thousands of people as far as the eye could see. They were all whispering. No one in Assiah had seen Rin in person before.

Rin took a steady, deep breath. He opened his mouth to speak and-

Suddenly a deep, deafening _boom_ shook the entire castle. Rin lost his footing, he clutched on to the balconies banister to keep himself upright. The people below didn't fare any better than him, they too lost their balance and grabbed at anything they could to stay upright. Rin's ears rang loudly, and everything sounded muffled. When he looked up, all he could see was clouds of smoke and debris scattered across the square.

That's when the screaming started.

Cries of horror and pain met his ears. Down below, people were calling out for their loved ones or screaming in pain. Rin caught sight of a little girl whose hair was plastered to the side of her face with blood.

"What the hell was that?!" Rin shouted at the nearest guard, his ears still ringing loudly.

The guard didn't respond, instead they grabbed Rin roughly by the arm and dragged him back inside to safety. They wore the same black and blue uniform that all of his guardsman wore.

_"_Where's Lucifer?" Rin asked. No answer.

_'What's going on?' _Rin thought to himself. The guard continued to jerkily pull him along, they were now going down the same set of stairs that Rin had walked up just minutes ago. They neared the main entrance of the castle and Rin heard yelling and shouting coming from the other rooms.

Rin looked around and took notice for the first time of the bodies that littered the floor. Everyone was dead. All of the servants, the cooks, and all twenty of his personal guards. He even recognized the bodies of the two young servants that had been sent to dress him just that morning. They were all dead. The metallic smell of their blood hung heavily in the air. If all of his guards were dead, who was the person pulling him along?

Wrenching his arm out of the guard's grip, Rin demanded, "Identify yourself!"

The guard didn't respond but instead, weapon drawn, advanced towards Rin. Thinking quickly, Rin grabbed them by their arm and used their own momentum against them, flipping them on their back. They toppled down another set of stairs with a loud clatter, their helmet smashing against the edge of one of the steps.

Rin strode forward, drawing his sword. The blade was instantly engulfed in blue fire. Rin poised the tip of the sword precariously on the fallen guard's neck.

"Who do you work for? Answer me and you may be rewarded with your life."

Suddenly, something wrapped around Rin's neck and yanked him backwards, knocking his sword from his grasp. Gasping for air, Rin tried to call forth more fire to burn his attacker alive, but before he could they chanted, "O _Lord, make weak, exile, and drive out every demonic power and presence; every evil deed aimed against I, your servant_."

Immediately Rin felt all of his energy leave his body, his flames flickering out. In a last-ditch effort to escape, he threw his head back and slammed it into his attacker's face, hearing the satisfying crunch of bones and a cry of pain. Their grip lessened on Rin, but Rin's legs were too weak to support him. Rin fell slack against his assailant and despite his best attempts to stay conscious, his eyes fluttered shut against his will. He was out cold.

The assailant set Rin gently on the ground and helped the fallen guard to their feet. They gingerly touched their now broken nose and asked, "Are you okay, Yukio? You hit the ground pretty hard."

Yukio, dazed, took a few breaths to steady himself. He removed his helmet and wiped blood off his forehead and out of his eyes. He must have hit his head harder than he anticipated.

"I'm fine. Let's get him out of here before their reinforcements arrive."


	2. The Rebels

**Disclaimer**: I don't own BE/ANE or any of its characters!

Chapter two,

The Rebels

* * *

Rin awoke to the sensation of being jostled around and to the loud hum of a running motor. His face was pressed into a cold, hard surface. His vision was blurry, and he couldn't get a good look at where he was. He would have pushed himself upright, if not for the fact that his hands were bound painfully tight behind his back. Just how long had he been unconscious for?

Rin groaned; his body ached with every movement. It felt like he had gotten into a fight with a very, very angry hellhound and lost. Slowly, so that he could avoid aggravating his body even further, he rolled onto his side and tucked his legs to his chest. He then rolled onto his legs and sat up. Now that he was upright, he was able to see where he was. It appeared like he was being transported in some kind of a van.

He was also able to look down the barrels of several different guns being pointed directly at his head.

"Well," Rin croaked out, his throat feeling painfully raw, "this is an unusual way to say good morning."

One of the armed guards that was sitting on a bench that lined the sides of the van kicked Rin in the side, causing Rin to slam into one of the walls of the van. That kick left Rin, who was already in a lot of pain, gasping for air. Now certainly wasn't the time for quips and sarcasm.

"_This_ is all that the crown prince of Gehenna has to offer? Pathetic." The guard that kicked him spat.

Rin closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall that he had impacted. Let them have their fun. He could incinerate all of these humans in an instant if he so desired. But he couldn't do that just yet, not until he figured out who kidnapped him and is conspiring against his father.

A stretch of time passed in silence, a silence that Rin was tempted to break, but he held his tongue. Suddenly, the vehicle came to a stop and Rin opened his eyes. All six of the guards still had their guns trained on him. Two guards stepped past Rin towards the doors on the back of the vehicle, one making sure to step on Rin's fingers as he walked past. Rin grit his teeth; they would get what was coming to them. The doors were opened, and he expected to be blinded by bright, white light, but instead the doors opened to complete darkness. Rin tried to peer out and see where he was, but before he got a good look, a cloth bag was placed over his head.

Rough hands seized him by the arms and forced him to his feet and they walked in silence. Rin intentionally stumbled, knocking his captors off balance. He heard the clicking of guns behind him, more than there were before. So, he thought, they were still watching him closely.

One of the guards that he tripped squeezed his arm tightly. "Try that again, and I'll make sure you never walk again," the gravelly male voice hissed in his ear.

Rin chuckled and said, "Try me. If your leader really wanted me dead, they wouldn't have gone through all of this trouble to drag me here."

"We don't have time for this." Someone said irritably. Rin couldn't be sure because he couldn't see them, but it sounded like the person that had rendered him unconscious before.

The guards leading him stopped in their steps. Blind and restrained, Rin had no idea what they were doing. Had they reached their destination? Or were they just tired of his behavior and decided that he wasn't worth the trouble? Just then, Rin felt something sharp press into his neck.

"Gah!" Rin exclaimed, his eyes squeezing shut at the pain. They had just injected something into Rin's neck, and it burned, the fire spreading in his veins. Like before, he felt his strength being sapped from his bones. "Damn you…" He hissed before consciousness left his body.

-~x~-

When Rin woke up, his face was pressed into a cold and hard surface. Again. Only this time, he wasn't in a transportation vehicle, but some kind of dimly lit cell. The only sound that he could hear was the faint sound of water dripping in the distance, and his own breathing. His arms were still bound behind his back, but he was once again able to push himself into a seated position. At least he could see where he was now.

The air felt cool on his skin and he would have shivered, if not for the fire that ran through his veins. Wherever he was, it was far too cool to be Gehenna.

"Sleep well, your highness?" A voice asked.

Rin's head whipped around, facing his visitor. It was a young human male, similar in age to Rin. Or at least that's what he assumed, since humans age at a quicker rate than demons. The human was standing outside of his cell, a tense smile across their features. They looked nervous.

"Well," Rin started, his voice still hoarse, "I must admit that the novelty of being knocked out has worn off."

"I would imagine so."

"Do I know you?" Rin asked. The person sounded familiar, but he didn't recognize their face.

"We've met before."

Rin studied the strangers face, and dull blue eyes stared back at him. Slowly but surely, the cogs started to turn in his brain. "Ah…" He began," I see. You were disguised as one of my guards. How did you manage it?"

"That's classified. I will go and inform them that you're awake."

Rin watched with wary eyes as the person walked down the hall and disappeared from his vision, their footsteps fading away. Classified? Just how tacky could these people get? Rin stood up and walked around his small cell. He walked up to the bars and tried to get a better look at his surroundings, but when his cheek brushed against the bars, his face started to burn. He quickly backed away from the bars and rubbed his cheek against his shoulder. They had used some kind of holy steel or iron to make this cell. The footsteps returned and Rin moved towards the back of his cell; he would not be caught off guard.

It wasn't the bespectacled, black-haired boy from before, but an older man with stark white hair. He wore glasses and a cross around his neck. Rin's nose crinkled; this man reeked of cigarettes and it made his nose burn. The white-haired man took in Rin's defensive stance and sighed, he really didn't have time for this.

"We can either do this the easy way, or the hard way."

"The choice is yours, old man."

The man snorted and adjusted his glasses, the boy certainly had spirit, "Let's not play this game, Rin."

Rin's eyes narrowed. Being addressed by his first name was something that only his father and brothers did, let alone a measly human.

"Does your leader think so lowly of me that they send you here all alone?" Rin questioned, almost insulted.

"Some of us humans are stronger than we look."

"What's your name?"

"Shiro."

"Just Shiro?"

"Just Shiro."

"Okay then, just Shiro, lead the way." Rin shrugged and indicated the locked door by tilting his head. He could stir up as much trouble with this man, Shiro, as he wanted, but that wouldn't get him anywhere quickly. And to be honest, he really just wanted to be at home and asleep right now.

Shiro reached into his coat pocket and drew out the key to the cell. He unlocked the door, keeping an eye on Rin to make sure that he didn't try to escape, not that he would make it very far. He unlocked the door and slipped the key back into his pocket. He gestured for Rin to exit his cell, which Rin did.

"No blindfold this time?" Rin asked.

"Would you like one?" Shiro quipped back.

Rin clicked his tongue and said nothing else. Shiro sighed and grabbed Rin by the arm. This was going to be a long day. Leading Rin up a dark stairway and down a series of brightly lit hallways, he snuck a few sideways glances at the boy. He really did look eerily like Satan.

Passing several rooms filled with various units of people and resources, Rin noticed that the building itself was old, but well-kept. The walls were white and lined with crown molding, he also noticed that every five minutes or so that the lights would flicker slightly. Anytime Rin and Shiro walked past someone, they openly stopped and stared at Rin and it was starting to grate on his nerves. Rin tried his best to remember every face he saw, so he could be sure to pay them a visit later.

Finally, they came to a halt in front of two large white, ornately decorated doors. There were two armed guards standing by either door. Dragoons by the look of them, Rin noticed. In his studies he was taught how to identify different types of fighters so that he could determine the best strategy to best them in battle. The guards nodded at Shiro and pushed open the doors.

Shiro led him into what appeared to be an office and Rin was able to get a good look around. Whoever this office belonged to must have been a high ranking official. The walls were white and lined with fancy, golden trim. There were large windows framed by bright red curtains and a heavy chandelier hung down from the high ceiling. The windows looked out upon a crystal blue lake. In the center of the room there was a large wooden desk, and behind the desk stood a man with long blonde hair. To the right of the man stood more armed guards and the black-haired boy from before.

"Ah, Rin, I've been expecting you." The man greeted, with a smile on his face. Although his tone did not reflect his expression.

Rin scowled in response. This was the second time today that a human referred to him by his first name. He took a deep breath to stop himself from saying anything snarky. The blond man seemed to notice Rin's scow and smirked.

Observing the man carefully, Rin cleared his expression and replied in a hoarse, but monotone voice, "I don't believe that we've met."

The man had a look of false bewilderment and said, "Oh, where are my manners? I am Arthur Auguste Angel, but you may call me sir Arthur."

Rin had to hold back yet another snarky retort, "While there is a sense of novelty to being kidnapped and stuffed into the back of a van, I'd rather we skipped the pleasantries and cut to the chase. Who are you people and what do you want?"

Arthur watched Rin with a level gaze and then glanced at Shiro and said, "Please release his arm, Shiro. Thank you for bringing him here." Shiro did as he was asked and took a step back, but he stayed close by.

Arthur didn't answer his question immediately, but continued, "You're far younger than I expected. I, and many more of my colleagues, expected your older brother Lucifer to inherit the throne. It would have been the end of us if that was the case, but your blue flames make the throne your birthright, do they not?"

_'What is he getting at?_' Rin wondered. He didn't respond, everyone already knew the answer to that question.

"Why don't you take a seat?" Arthur suggested, gesturing to one of the two armchairs in front of his desk.

"I'll pass."

"I insist." Arthur said, and two of the armed guards standing by Arthur marched forward. If Rin would not cooperate on his own volition, they would make him.

Rin eyed them wearily as they drew near. He had been playing their game long enough and it was about time that they learned a lesson. The moment that they grabbed his arms, Rin called forth his blue flames to set them ablaze, but when he did, the restraints around his wrists sent searing, red hot pain up his arms and throughout his body. Rin gasped, the pain blinding him, and he fell to his knees. He instantly stopped trying to summon his fire and the pain receded.

Arthur watched with satisfaction as Rin fell to his knees, he said, "Excellent. The cuffs work. We had them created as a precautionary measure against your ability to summon fire, but I wasn't sure if they would work."

Rin glared up at Arthur through watery eyes. Oh, how he would enjoy burning that man alive.


	3. The Traitor

**Disclaimer**: I don't own BE/ANE or any of its characters!

Chapter three,

The Traitor

* * *

_"Who are we and what do we want?"_ Arthur echoed Rin's words from before, "We are the Knights of the True Cross and we have every intention of tearing down your and your father's tyrannous empire and restoring Assiah to its former glory."

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but your efforts will be cut short," Rin began from his kneeling position on the floor, "by now my father will have been informed of the situation and he and his armies will be out looking for me. When they find me, and they will, your pitiful rebel movement will be slaughtered like all of the ones before it. What exactly was your plan in bringing me here? To get all of your men killed?"

"By the time that everything is said and done, you will fight for us against your father."

Rin's eyebrow quirked, "Really? And why would I do that?"

"Your father has been lying to you and using you."

"I thought that's what _you_ were planning on doing."

"We are, but at least we are being up front about it."

"You're insane, my father has no reason to lie to me."

"Would you be willing to bet your life on that?" Arthur asked suddenly.

Rin paused, trying to discern the reason behind the question. He then answered firmly, "I would."

Shiro cleared his throat, garnering the attention in the room, "This is getting us nowhere. We could always try Yukio's suggestion…"

Arthur seemed to ponder this for a moment, weighing his options. He then nodded in agreement and said, "What do we have to lose? Okumura, come over here."

Yukio stood a few steps closer to Arthur and stood on his right-hand side. When he stood next to Arthur, it became very evident that he was far younger than his counterparts. He almost seemed like a child caught in a battle that he didn't understand, or so Rin thought.

"I'm sure you've already met Yukio by now."

Rin nodded, "We are acquainted."

"I think it's time for a proper introduction." Arthur suggested.

Taking one more step forward, Yukio said, "I am Yukio Okumura, son of Yuri Egin the late princess and heir to Assiah, and I am your brother."

There was a pregnant pause in which no one said anything. Rin looked between Arthur and Yukio, at a loss for words. He looked at the pale, bespectacled human before him and before he could stop himself, a low chuckle escaped his throat.

"Is something I said amusing to you?" Yukio asked in a tight, practiced tone.

"Yeah, yeah it actually was." Rin shook his head in disbelief. Standing up with as much grace as he could muster with bound hands, he paced back and forth in front of the desk. The guards trained their guns on him once again. "So, let me get this straight," he began, "you've kidnapped me, not just the son of some random lord, but the heir apparent to the reigning king, so that you could bring me in front of your council to tell me what? I have another brother?"

They watched Rin carefully, like an animal that could lash out at any moment. Well, at least they knew who the prey was and who was the predator in this situation. Arthur opened his mouth to say something, but Rin quickly interrupted him.

"I have eight siblings, many of which are brothers and all of which are the archdemons that command the strongest armies in the realm, and you mean to tell me that this small, pale, weak human with a horrible taste in glasses is my brother?" Rin inclined his head towards Yukio, "Sorry, no offense. So yes, I found your joke to be quite amusing. While I have many brothers, you are certainly not one of them."

Arthur shook his head in frustration, "This is pointless. If he won't cooperate or listen to reason, he can be executed or die in the prisons for all I care. Bring him back to his cell, we can try again when he is willing to listen."

"I do have one question," Rin asked, grabbing their attention, "the cuffs, how did you create them?"

"An inside source." Arthur replied dismissively.

Rin recoiled slightly at the response. Someone from the empire was providing aid to this rebel movement, but why? Shiro grabbed Rin by the arm and the guards in the room marched forward to form a perimeter around him. Rin didn't resist being pulled along, there wasn't much that he could do anyways. His arms were restrained, and he couldn't summon fire. He could kick out at them, but he wouldn't get very far before they put a bullet into his head. As they exited the room, Rin looked back over his shoulder and called out to Yukio snidely, "Sorry about your family by the way. I'm sure that they were nice people."

Yukio's jaw and fists clenched, his face turning a deep shade of red. Rin watched Yukio's anger grow with satisfaction. Even if he could not physically bring harm to these humans, he could still use his words to inflict damage. What Rin didn't expect, however, was to be slammed to the ground once the doors to the office shut behind him, knocking the air out of his lungs.

"Bon, control yourself!" Shiro shouted.

The guard, who was apparently named Bon, had tacked Rin to the floor and was whaling on him with clenched fists. Again, and again the fists slammed against Rin's face, causing the skin to tear apart and start bleeding. Even though each connected hit slammed his head against the floor, the pain was nothing. He had suffered far worse injuries from sparing with Amaimon. Shiro, along with the help of another guard, was eventually able to tear Bon away from Rin. Shiro grabbed Bon and dragged him away from Rin, talking in angry, hushed whispers. Shiro seemed to have dismissed him as Bon stalked off angrily.

Rin watched this all take place from his spot on the ground, blood dripping into his eyes and down his face. His nose must have been hit pretty hard too because he felt hot liquid pouring over his lips. Rin coughed slightly, trying to clear the blood that was running down the back of his throat, and blood splattered across his clothes and the white marble floor. He was absolutely over being around humans.

Shiro walked over to Rin and pulled him to his feet. He rummaged through some of his pockets and pulled out a rag. He pressed it under Rin's nose, trying to stop the blood from completely soaking Rin. "If you can't control yourself, we will be forced to take further action to ensure that you are controlled, and let me tell you, it's not pretty."

Rin blinked hard a few times, trying to clear the blood from his eyes. He looked up at Shiro and spoke, his voice slightly muffled from the cloth pressed against his face, "And you call us the monsters."

"He has lost far more than you can even imagine."

"Haven't we all?" Rin mused.

The remainder of their journey continued in silence, only broken by the sound of their footsteps against the floor. Shiro led him down the same series of hallways and stairs that they had originally come up from. Rin couldn't shake the feeling of exhaustion that had settled into his bones. He hadn't had much sleep with the exception of being rendered unconscious, which wasn't restful by any means. He wasn't sure how long it had been since he had eaten, but judging from how much his stomach ached, it had been at least a day by now. Shiro locked him in his cell and regarded Rin with a disappointed expression, as if Rin's behavior had let him down.

Shiro left and Rin sat in the emptiness and silence that came with his cell. He gingerly walked to the back of it, his body aching, and slid down the wall into a somewhat comfortable position. He rested his body against the cool, metal wall, finding solace in that it calmed his screaming body slightly. Even though he did not believe a single thing that he had been told, it was admittedly odd that he would be kidnapped only to be told some strange fabrication. Growing up, Rin had always been told that his mother was a demon. That meant that it was impossible for he and Yukio were related. The boy didn't even appear to be a half-demon!

Left to his thoughts, Rin had almost nodded off until he heard a singsong voice from outside of his prison cell, "My, my, my~," the voice started, and it was a voice that Rin both recognized and hated, "you look terrible."

Rin lifted his head and forced his eyes open. Sure enough, Mephisto was sitting outside of his prison cell on a wooden chair, his feet propped up on an ottoman that he had conjured. Rin never thought that he would have ever been excited to see Mephisto, but he was apparently wrong.

"Mephisto…" Rin said, his raspy voice barely echoing off of the walls. He didn't make an effort to move from his seated position on the floor, he was far too tired for that. "We can talk about everything later, just let me out."

"Everything would be so much easier for you if you would just cooperate with them." Mephisto stated, his usually cheery voice suddenly serious.

Rin froze, "What?"

"Cooperation, my little brother, can go a long way."

"Have you finally gone mad? Are you seriously suggesting that I should help the humans?"

"We both know that you're smart enough to work that one out for yourself."

"You're not here to let me out, are you?" Rin held his gaze, green eyes meeting fiery blue.

"Very astute observation."

Rin jumped up, his body protesting as he did so. He stalked over to the bars and pressed his face against them, ignoring the searing pain that it caused, "You're the inside source, aren't you?"

Mephisto didn't reply but continued to watch Rin.

"What are they holding over you? We can help you. With father's help, or even Lucifer's help, I'm certain that we could fix this."

"There is nothing to fix," Mephisto dismissed with a wave of his hand, "I made this decision on my own volition."

Rin stepped back from the bars and shook his head in disbelief, "What have you done?"

"It was a simple deal, really. In exchange for information, they have granted me complete and unadulterated freedom. Something that you've never had."

Rin snorted, "Are they so foolish as to trust you? What did you give them to earn your trust?"

"I gave them you."

Rin couldn't believe the words he was hearing. His own flesh and blood, a turncoat? He knew that Mephisto was slippery, but this was treason that they were talking about. What was worse was how nonchalant Mephisto was acting about it, it was almost like they were discussing the weather.

"Of course, you would be the one to sell out your empire, your own family. You're nothing but a traitor!" Rin seethed.

"I prefer the term free agent."

"Shut up! Can't you take anything seriously for once? Does this mean nothing to you?"

Mephisto's ottoman suddenly poofed out of existence and he stood up from his chair. He walked towards Rin's cell until he was almost pressed against the bars, "I will give you some advice, and only because you are my favorite brother; cooperate."

"You're a fool."

"And you are blinded by your love for father. You are nothing but a dog that is blinded by its loyalty to the hand that feeds it scraps. You'll come to understand my choice, and I only hope that when the time comes, that you'll make the right one too." And with that Mephisto started to walk away from Rin's eyeline.

"Mephisto!" Rin shouted, livid, "I order you to come back here at once!"

Mephisto didn't respond or look back even once.

"Mephisto!"


	4. The Compromise

**Disclaimer**: I don't own BE/ANE or any of its characters!

Chapter four,

The Compromise

* * *

Walking down the halls of True Cross, Yukio took little to no notice of his surroundings as he passed by. He had one destination in mind and that was all that mattered. The base of operations for the Knights of the True Cross was in a large academy on the outskirts of Assiah, well within enemy territory. Its status as an academy for the affluent and prestigious was just a front and it had kept them well hidden so far. While Arthur was the face of the organization, Shiro was the brains. Stopping in front of a set of double doors, Yukio knocked on them, waiting to be granted access.

"Enter." Came the reply from inside.

Grasping the handle to one of the doors, Yukio pushed the door open and stepped inside, quietly shutting the door behind him. Inside of the room, he was greeted by the sight of Shiro's back facing him. He appeared to be looking out the window with both of his arms propped up on the windowsill, he only usually did that when he was tired or thinking, sometimes both. Shiro glanced at Yukio from over his shoulder and smiled, despite all of the stress that he was feeling, he always enjoyed seeing Yukio. When Yukio's mother died, Shiro reluctantly took the boy under his wing and watched over him.

Yukio gave a small smile in return, but his smile faded when he saw that Shiro had a cigarette in his mouth.

"Smoking is bad for your health, you know."

Shiro gave a noncommittal shrug, "We've all got to die of something."

Yukio shook his head and dropped into one of the empty chairs with a soft sigh, "He's still not eating or drinking anything that we bring him. It's been nearly a week now."

Shiro nodded, taking in this information. "He is stubborn, but it's to be expected. When you take into consideration of who his father is, and who we are, it's no surprise that he won't listen to us. He probably assumes that we've laced his food with poison."

"How long would someone like him be able to survive without food or water?"

"It's safe to assume that his metabolism is much faster than ours and Mephisto said that he normally eats a substantial amount. If I'm being honest, I'm kind of surprised that he has made it this long without food and water." Shiro paused and took in Yukio's face, "You look exhausted. Care to tell me what's bugging you?"

"I…" Yukio started, "I really don't know. I guess that I expected something different, I'm not sure what I should have expected."

"Don't worry too much about it, family is what you make of it blood relatives be damned. We don't get to pick who we are related to, but we can pick who we keep in our lives. Why don't you take a break? I will try to reason with him. Sleep, go be with your friends, do whatever you want. Speaking of your friends, how is Bon by the way? Still pissed off with me?"

Yukio smiled slightly, "I'm sure that he is, the last time that I spoke to him he said that you didn't let him get any real damage in."

Shiro snorted and shook his head, "That hotheaded fool. Go, get some rest, that's an order."

Yukio didn't argue with that, he nodded his thanks and left the room. He was going to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

Taking one last look outside of the window, Shiro peered into the courtyard below and watched as some students splashed in one of the fountains and laughed. He closed his eyes and felt the warm sunrays across his skin. He snuffed out his cigarette on the window, something that he would undoubtably get a lecture on, and tossed it into the trash can. Circling his desk, he made his way out of his office, planning to do something that his overseers were going to hate him for, but hell, it was worth a shot.

It took him a little bit, but he eventually made his way down to the prisons. He passed cold, dark, and empty cells until he found the one that he was looking for. Peering inside, he saw that Yukio was right. Sitting right by the door was an untouched tray of some water and dubious looking food, Shiro grimaced, even he wouldn't eat that if he had a choice. Leaning against the back wall of the cell was Rin, dried blood still covering the front of his clothes. He looked as tired as Shiro felt, but he also had the haggard look to his face that someone who hadn't eaten in a while got. At least his face had healed from his encounter with Bon. When Shiro approached the cell, the boy's fiery blue eyes locked on him, almost glowing in the dim lighting.

"Is the food not to your liking?" Shiro started, "I'll be the first to admit that it's not the best, trust me I've eaten it, but it will keep you full."

Silence hung in the air as Rin watched him but didn't respond.

"Listen," Shiro said, dragging his hand roughly across his face, "unlike the top, I am willing to make a compromise with you."

There was still no response, not even a curious look.

"If you eat, I am willing to, and I can't believe I'm saying this, I am willing to take a chance and let you go outside. You've been in this cell for a while and honestly, I'd rather speak to you as an equal than as a prisoner." That last part was a lie, Shiro felt much more comfortable with the prince of Gehenna locked in a cell, but they needed to make some progress. He then added, "The food isn't poisoned."

"I refuse to eat like a dog." Rin's words rang out, finally breaking the silence. It certainly wasn't the response that Shiro had expected.

"The foods not that bad, really I sw- "

"My hands," Rin interrupted, "are bound behind my back. I cannot eat."

Shiro paused and asked, "They haven't readjusted your cuffs?"

Rin shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head towards his still bound arms, "I suppose they aren't too concerned about the comfort of Satan's son."

"I will fix them myself then," Shiro began, unlocking the cell door, "but if you try anything, there will be consequences." What those consequences were, Shiro didn't know yet, but it sounded like a good enough threat.

Rin stood up, his legs wobbling, he had to pause for a moment to allow his body to adjust. He allowed Shiro to undo his cuffs without a struggle, much to his own surprise. Normally Rin would have acted out, but he didn't have the energy. Once the cuffs were removes, Rin moved his arms around a bit, they were unbearably stiff. One thing that he noticed though, is that there were still metal bands around his wrists.

"What are these?" Rin asked.

"Those are the cuffs that are blocking your powers, these," Shiro waved around the unlocked cuffs, "were just to keep your hands behind your back so that you couldn't strangle us. Now, hands in front."

"That's not a half bad idea." Rin mused out loud, holding out his hands in front of them.

Shiro huffed in response and replaced the cuffs on Rin's wrists, which were now in front of him so that he could eat. Leaving the cell and locking the door behind him, Shiro resumed his position leaning against the wall and watched Rin carefully.

Rin tentatively poked at his meal, unsure of what exactly it was.

"It's not poisoned."

"I know, I would have been able to smell it if it was." Rin said, shortly.

"I suppose that's true."

Shiro watched in silence as Rin drank the water that was presented to him, but he only ate a third of his meal, and Shiro couldn't quite blame him. It hardly even looked like food. He would have to talk to the kitchens later and ask what exactly it was.

"So, tell me something, Rin," Shiro started after Rin finished eating, "what was your life like?"

Rin didn't answer at first, thinking carefully before vaguely saying, "I have never known anything different."

"How is your relationship with your brothers?"

Rin quirked an eyebrow at that question but said nothing.

"Are you afraid of answering? Mephisto did say that you are very loyal to your father."

A look of anger flashed across Rin's face at the mention of Mephisto and he tried to quickly hide his emotions, but Shiro had seen it. Shiro took the opportunity to say, "He also said that your father is hard on you, and that when you disobey him, the punishments are severe, cruel, even."

"Mephisto spoke out of turn."

"Is what he said true?"

Rin didn't answer, but instead he asked tiredly, "Why do you ask me these things, Shiro? To provoke a response?"

"I just want to understand you."

"Why?"

"I used to know a boy just like you, someone that was lost and afraid. I was able to help him understand his place in life, and I was able to teach him.

"Oh, don't pretend to pity me, Shiro," Rin snapped suddenly, making Shiro draw back in surprise, "I am not a child that needs guidance, especially not from a human. I do not need or want your help."

_'A touchy subject, then.'_ Shiro thought.

"Well, anyways, you upheld your end of the bargain." Shiro said, gesturing to Rin's semi-eaten meal, "I feel that it is only right that I uphold mine. I'll have to go grab you something to wear first, I have a feeling that blood covered Gehennian clothing might draw some unwanted attention."

Rin watched Shiro rush off somewhere at a relatively quick pace. He hadn't actually expected the human to uphold his end of the bargain. Was he really going to be allowed outside? As much as he didn't want to admit it, he did miss seeing the sun. Could he use this opportunity to escape or would he be shot dead before he even made it out of the building? If only he could just summon his flames…

Shiro came back a minute later, holding a True Cross coat. He unlocked the cell and tossed the coat at Rin, saying, "Here, put this on."

Rin made no effort to catch the coat, it hit him in the chest and fell to the ground. At Shiro's confused expression he said, "My hands are still bound."

Shiro mentally slapped himself, of course his hands were still bound. Cautiously, he unlocked Rin's handcuffs again. Rin gingerly pulled the coat on over his bloodied clothes, his still stiff shoulders making it difficult. Shiro instinctively reached out to help him put it on but stopped short at the leveling glare that Rin shot him.

"There are some ground rules that need to be laid out before I can allow you to go outside."

Rin sighed heavily; he wasn't a child. What right did this human have to try and give him commands? Regardless, he would play along, perhaps he could find a potential escape route on this escapade.

"Your hands will be cuffed in front of you, you do not stray away from me, and you do not talk to anyone. Do you understand me?"

Rin gave a small nod.

Shiro gently grabbed Rin by the arm and led him out of the cell, keeping in mind that Rin's arms were sore. Not that that should phase him, but for some reason he also didn't want to cause Rin any unnecessary pain. It must be the fact that this is Yukio's brother somewhere in the back of his mind stopping him from behaving cruelly towards Rin, not that the two brothers were anything alike. But… he just couldn't find it within himself to treat Rin cruelly.

Eventually they made it out of the prisons and above ground. Shiro opened a door to one of the courtyards and said quietly, "Remember the rules." And with that, they stepped out into the bright, warm courtyard with Shiro praying to God that they would not get caught, otherwise _he _might be the one to face consequences.


	5. The Girl

**Disclaimer**: I don't own BE/ANE or any of its characters!

**Beta reader**: asteroulik – I am grateful for your creativity and perspective.

Chapter five,

The Girl

* * *

Once Rin stepped out into the courtyard, a bright white light immediately blinded him. He squinted against the sun and raised up his hand to block it out. After a few moments, his eyes adjusted.

The courtyard was not nearly as lavish and as well manicured as the ones at the Palace of Assiah, but it still had its own beauty to set it apart from the courtyards of his own home. Those, unlike these both, were barren and always lacking any type of life. In contrast, this courtyard was lush and green with large, towering trees scattered about. Their leaves swayed gently, a warm and calming breeze brushing Rin's face. Sounds of birds and laughter filled the area. In the center of the courtyard, there was a large fountain with water that sparkled like crystals in the sunlight.

For a single second, it dawned on Rin how the entire world had gone on despite everything he'd experienced. He was kidnapped and imprisoned, and even so, life had continued to march on.

He stared for a bit longer until he spotted movement at the fountain. Rin squinted, his eyes just making out the figures of people playing and splashing. They all wore uniforms that looked less formal than those which the adults from earlier did. They looked like… students?

"We're at an academy?" Rin wondered aloud.

Judging by how Shiro's eyes widened, Rin could tell he shouldn't have opened his mouth. He quickly shut it, not knowing what the expression meant but already mentally preparing himself to be thrown back into the dungeon.

Shiro cursed himself, he should have waited until after curfew to let Rin venture outside. Having him outside exposed the students to unnecessary danger, and it possibly gave Rin a clue to their location.

He couldn't take him back into his cell; the kid would probably stop trusting Shiro, and ultimately, everyone else. The chance of him joining the Knights of The True Cross would fall apart, and Rin would become more of a burden to the rebels than he already was in this state.

Where could he take Rin instead? Shiro stared off, thinking.

The supply shop should be empty at this time save for the shopkeeper, perhaps the garden there would be the best option. Shiro placed an arm around Rin's shoulders and led him in a slightly different direction, away from the students.

"You could say that," he replied.

Rin tried to pull away, but Shiro only strengthened his grip.

"Do not stray, remember?"

"Concerned about my safety, old man? I'm touched, truly." Rin said mockingly, sarcasm dripping off every word.

"Of course not. Not yours, that is." Shiro responded, earning him an offended look.

Many of the students here, those whose families were not affiliated with the Knights of the True Cross, were blissfully unaware that True Cross Academy doubled as a headquarters for an underground rebellion group, despite the name. The last thing that Shiro needed was for Rin to kill a student and draw unwanted, prying eyes onto the academy. Especially the eyes of the Empire where their influence was weak at best.

Eventually, Rin gave up fighting against Shiro's grip and instead let Shiro lead him into a less populated area outside the courtyard. The place consisted of different types of buildings that he had never seen before and, for once, no one spared a passing glance at him.

These people really had no idea who he was, did they?

Rin knew that Satan had kept him mostly outside of the public's eye to protect him, but he hadn't realized to what extent. Hell, these people didn't even seem to notice his pointed ears, which Shiro had failed to conceal. Rin grinned slightly, amused at the thought of blending in with humans despite the human's insistence that demons were monsters.

Shiro glanced at Rin and noticed he was smiling. A wave of unease rose within him.

Just what could Rin be thinking now? From his point of view, Rin's smile seemed mischievous which could only mean he was up to no good. Rin was probably planning something.

Luckily for Shiro, they had just rounded the corner to Futsumaya, which was off the beaten path and, more importantly, away from people. They barely made it to the door when they both heard a voice call from behind them.

"Oi! Shiro! Didn't expect to see you here. Have you heard what's goin' on?"

"For crying out loud…" Shiro muttered, glancing over his shoulder.

That familiar voice belonged to Shura who was quickly approaching the two.

Shiro stiffened. He needed to hide Rin as quickly as possible before she recognized him and made a scene. Though Rin's powers were restricted, he was pretty sure having Satan's bastard outside of his cell would not look too good on Shiro's part.

In front of them, the supply store was empty with the shopkeeper most likely busy in the garden. And, again, Rin didn't have his powers, so Shiro would have some time to send Shura away before Rin figured out how to find an escape.

Making the quick decision, Shiro opened the door and shoved Rin inside, slamming the door behind him.

"Who was that?" Shura asked as she climbed the steps.

"Newbie," Shiro lied with ease, adding a scoff for good measure, "Couldn't even find the supply shop on his own. What the Order is doing by recruiting kids like that is beyond me."

Shura smiled.

"I remember when I was first recruited. You didn't even bother tryna help me find my way around!" She looked at the ground before looking back up and nudging him, "You're getting soft, Shiro."

He tried smiling in return, but it faded quickly as his mind lingered. Shiro just couldn't smile when something so important was pending.

"So," Shiro started, "What did you come here to tell me about? You didn't chase me all the way over here to reminisce, I hope."

Shura's smile slipped from her face.

"Perceptive as always, I see, and no, I didn't come here to remember."

Her eyes sharpened as her tone dropped.

"The Gehennian army is on the move. They've declared martial law in the towns closest to the Palace of Assiah so that they can look for the crown prince with absolute authority. Not only that, they've apparently started to send out fleets of airships. God knows what for."

"We'll have to transport him sooner rather than later, then."

"That or kill him like Arthur suggests. Though, I doubt that'll do anything good for us. If anything, it'd probably do the contrary. So, for now, we should squeeze all the information we can out of 'im before we think of doing anything that bold."

"I still think that we can use him, whether that means as a recruit or a bargaining chip, I do not know." Shiro admitted, going quiet as he thought about the days ahead.

Secretly, he hoped the former would be the case seeing as to how useful Rin could be to the rebels. For now, he wasn't budging which made that chance of him joining look more and more like wishful thinking.

Ever since they successfully captured Rin, they've been in constant defense. It didn't help how they also needed to wait for the Empire to make a bigger move before deciding the next course of action - which Shiro hated deeply.

"You're still convinced he will listen to reason? Heh, I wish I was an optimist like you - I gave up on that chance before we even got him!" chuckled Shura.

Shiro was about to respond to that but he was cut off short when a loud scream emerged from inside of the supply store.

He overcalculated how much time Rin could go without causing trouble.

-~x~-

Initially, Rin thought Shiro had lied to him, and that this building would be the very place he met his demise. One inside, he realized it didn't look anything like a place of death but despite not being greeted by it immediately, he did not relax in the slightest.

Taking a tentative step forward into the shelf-crowded room, the ridiculous coat Shiro had forced him to wear got caught on one of the shelves. He flinched and turned to see the problem, untensing after realizing he wasn't in danger.

Rin's hands were cuffed to his front which made it impossible to remove the coat, so he instead undid the front and finagled the coat free. He scowled slightly at the still-bloody clothing that he was wearing underneath, the blood having dried and become harder to see due to the clothes' black color.

With his coat free from the shelf, Rin stepped forward, his eyes wandering to the rest of the shelves. They were lined with hundreds of different kinds of herbs and there were jars everywhere full of substances that he had never seen before. Curiously, he picked one off and opened it, bringing it to his nose. His face scrunched painfully, the aroma burning his nose, so he resealed the jar and placed it back.

Now that he thought about it, the building looked oddly like a house; which meant there had to be another way to escape. Without Shiro to watch over him, if he could find another exit, Rin would be free.

Pushing past an exceptionally narrow shelf that was just as fragrant as the rest, he accidentally knocked over a small potted plant that was on one of the shelves. Rin stumbled to catch it, failing, but managing to soften its fall. Instead of shattering, it thudded on the floor, spilling dirt everywhere.

"Hello?" He heard a soft voice call out.

'_Shit_,' thought Rin.

He needed to make his exit, fast.

"Is someone there?" The voice called out again, closer this time.

Rin tried to move quickly, but a small face poked out from around the shelf. A blond-haired girl with great green eyes stared back at him. She saw him and a nervous smile graced her features.

"I-I'm sorry but were closed."

Rin didn't answer immediately, conflicted on what he should do. He didn't know where the exit he desperately wanted was, and he was told to avoid contact with humans.

Could he kill this person if he needed to? Were they armed?

The cuffs were working against him to diminish his flames, but he could use his hands if he needed to.

"Can you hear?"

"What?"

"You didn't answer so I thought you couldn't hear me." She replied, seeming unsure of herself.

"Don't be ridiculous! I can hear just fine," he chided, looking around for another door, "Where's the exit to this place?"

"Is that blood?" She squeaked, pointing to his obviously bloody clothes.

"Does it matter? Answer my question, human, how do I get out of here?"

"Human…?" She echoed, tilting her head in confusion.

"Forget it, I'll find the exit myself."

Stubbornly, she blocked his path and declared, "Not unless you let me give you something for that injury!"

"Oh, for Hell's sake, I'm completely healed."

Tired of this circular conversation, Rin shoved past her, pushing her roughly to the side. As he walked past though, she grabbed his arm and tried to stop him. Something must have happened though because she hastily let go of his arm.

"You're a- you-!" She started to fumble over her words, pointing at his pointed ears.

"Oh, be quiet. I'm trying to leave."

"Help! Someone, please help me!" She cried out loudly, frightened.

Rin sighed and covered her mouth with his hands. Then, he gently led her towards a corner of the room. He looked her directly in the face and whispered, "If you're quiet, I'll let you live. Promise you'll stop screaming?"

She nodded quickly, her eyes beginning to water. When he let go of her and walked off to continue looking for the exit, however, she stumbled towards the door he had initially come from, crying for help louder.

"Oh, for Hell's sake, stop screaming!" Rin said, exasperated with this human's behavior.

He turned and followed after her. She had just reached for the door handle when Rin grabbed her hair roughly and dragged her away.

"I told you that I would let you live if you were quiet, but you weren't quiet, were you?" He growled. To be honest, he didn't actually want to kill this human, but seeing the circumstance, he would do it if it meant his freedom.

The door that she previously reached for slammed open. Shiro and some red-headed woman barged in with weapons drawn. Shiro had some kind of modified shotgun, and the woman had a sword. Shiro took in the situation, his eyes locking on Rin. He aimed the gun straight at Rin's head, his hand steady.

"Let her go."

Rin released his grip on the girl's hair and held his hands up. The girl scrambled away, stumbling while doing so. Rin almost felt bad for her, if she was terrified of him, she stood no chance against the horrors which lurked in the wastes of Gehenna.

"I didn't do anything."

_Yet_, Rin added mentally.

Shiro shook his head, his gun still trained on Rin's head. He looked at the red-headed woman and jerked his head in the direction of the hysterical girl, the woman followed the wordless order and rushed to her.

"What in God's green earth were you doing?"

"I didn't do anything," Rin repeated.

"You broke every single rule that I laid out for you; and there were only two!"

Not fair. Not at all was this fair. Shiro's two rules? Broken, yes, but not by him, so why was this old hypocrite pointing a gun at him? Why did he set up rules if he was going to break one of them for Rin?

Rin shook his head. He wasn't tired of humans; he was beyond frustrated. No matter how many times he would say that he didn't do anything wrong, the humans would insist on saying that he did. For centuries upon centuries, that's how life was for a demon; always being blamed for circumstances out of their control. Rin stepped forward and pressed his face to the barrel of the gun.

"Go on then, if you feel so strongly about this. I've grown tired of this game."


	6. The Punished

**Disclaimer**: I don't own BE/ANE or any of its characters!

Chapter six,

The Punished

* * *

Neither Rin nor Shiro moved from their positions. They both stood so still that to any onlookers, they were akin to statues carved out of stone, frozen in time for all of eternity. Rin held his breath, waiting for the ceaseless darkness that he imagined would follow his death. Had the end of the line arrived for him already? Was this where he was going to live out his final moments, not dying a warrior's death on the battlefield, but instead inside of an herb shop?

But the bullet never came, and neither did the never-ending darkness. Instead, Shiro lowered his gun, his eyes still trained on Rin.

Rin exhaled and watched as Shiro put away his weapon. He would live to see another day. Well, to see another minute at least.

"I can see now that placing my trust in you was a mistake, I should have never let you outside of your cell. A blind man could have seen this coming, making deals with the devil…"

"Technically that's my father."

Shiro's expression of anger faded and it was replaced by one of weariness. Why the seriousness of this situation was lost on Rin was beyond Shiro's comprehension. "Is this all just a game to you?" Shiro asked.

"My life is in your hands," Rin swallowed dryly, trying to appear nonchalant despite the fact that his life could have ended mere moments ago. "I am just choosing to live it to the fullest before you and your kind inevitably put an end to it."

"Inevitably end your life, huh? Is that honestly what you think our goal is here?"

"You and your friends have done little to prove otherwise."

"If you really think that humans are that ruthless, then your father has blinded you with his false-beliefs."

Rin stopped; that was the second time since he had been kidnapped that his captors had said he was the blind one. Was there something that he had missed? It had always been the humans that treated demons as less than. Stories rushed to the forefront of his mind, stories that Rin had been told by his siblings of what life was like for demons before he was born. Lucifer and Egyn would often recount the horrors of famine and pestilence that had plagued Gehenna for years.

There was one story that he had been told, that he could not forget. Lucifer once told him of a time not long past where thousands of demons had died of starvation and illness due to one of the many famines that had plagued Gehenna, a time where humans denied them aid and resources in their barren homeland. So many people were left to perish and those who died in the streets were subjected to joining the food chain themselves. Many demons dying of hunger resorted to cannibalizing on the emaciated corpses left in the street. Ever since the Gehennian Empire had taken control of the land, neither humans nor demons have had to resort to such acts of desperation, at least in Rin's experience.

"Shiro," The red-headed woman spoke up, finally finding her voice, "just what is going on here?"

Shiro tore his eyes away from Rin to glance towards Shura. He knew that he should explain to her what was going on, after this little stint she had every right to know, but Shiro wasn't completely certain himself why he let Rin outside. It had seemed like a questionable thing to do at the time, and yet he still went through with it. But explanations would have to wait, he had to get Rin back into confinement as soon as he possibly could.

"I will explain later, I promise."

"I'll hold ya to it." She then asked, "Should we make a report of this?"

Shiro shook his head, "If word of him attacking someone got out, it would likely lead to his execution, which I would like to avoid for the time being. We can use him to our advantage, I'm certain of it."

Claiming any certainty was an exaggeration on his part, Shiro was more hopeful than anything else. If only they could just make Rin see the truth, that his father had manipulated him into believing that humans were the aggressors, then maybe, just maybe, Rin could become an irreplaceable ally. But if that hope could not come to fruition, then Rin could always be used as a bargaining chip. Either way, having Rin with them may prove to be advantageous, but if he was killed, all of those potential options would be wiped off the table.

"Whatever you say. For the record, I think you're insane."

"I won't argue with you on that. Can you please ensure that miss Moriyama is okay? I need to take this one back to his cell."

"I don't think that will be necessary." Rin suddenly interrupted.

"Really? And why is that?" Shiro asked incredulously.

Rin took a deep, steadying breath before continuing. Despite his supposed screw up here, he had to try and work this situation to his advantage. Sitting around wasting his days locked in a cell was accomplishing nothing. He was not learning anything about this rebel group that he could report to his father, and he was damn sure that he'd first rip out his own eyes before he was forced back into his cell where the only thing he can do is stare at a dark wall.

What would Lucifer do if he was the one in this situation? When Lucifer was not busy, he was usually taking time to mentor Rin. Their father was too busy to really work hands on with any of his children, so it fell to Lucifer, a natural born leader, to teach Rin what it really meant to be a ruler. He and Lucifer had often spoken about what Rin should do in different emergency situations. Sieges on the empire, managing resources during a famine, assassination attempts, but they had never broached the topic of kidnapping. It sufficed to say that they had both been naïve in believing that it was impossible. Hells, what Rin wouldn't give to have Lucifer advise him in this situation. Rin would just have to take this situation into his own hands and do what would make his older brother proud; lie.

"I must ask that you forgive my transgression, it was disgraceful of me. In sparing me, I owe my life to you," Rin started and bowed to both Shiro and the blond girl that had caused this whole situation in the first place in a way that he hoped was convincing. "I am bound by the honor of my people to repay you. In an attempt towards restitution, I would be more than willing to speak to your leader once again. In a way that is more… open to discussion."

Was every single word he just uttered a complete lie? Yes, but Rin was just hoping it was convincing enough, even if he did seem bipolar in his attitude. If he was going to feign that he was honor bound by a royal custom, he had to be somewhat convincing.

Shiro's eyes narrowed at Rin's sudden change in behavior. He was unsure of what prompted the sudden switch from being difficult to being cooperative. Were demons bound by anything other than their own desires? There were no immediate risks if Rin were to talk to Arthur, especially since his cuffs cut of his demonic powers. Unable to discern any motives and knowing that Rin couldn't cause any true harm, Shiro cautiously relented but his suspicions did not fade. "If you try anything while near Arthur, he will not hesitate to kill you."

"I understand that." Rin replied.

"Are you sure you don't need any backup?" Shura offered, eyeing Rin suspiciously.

"I can handle this one myself." Shiro said, not wanting Shura to be involved any more than necessary.

Rin was quiet as Shiro led him out of the shop, through the courtyard, and towards Arthur's office. The academy was easier to navigate and form a mental map of in the daylight. What would they question him about? He knew the innerworkings of the Empire, but he was not privy to knowledge of things like armory locations.

"You never did answer my question from before." Shiro prompted, breaking the silence between them.

"You do ask a lot of them."

"You're not wrong."

As much as Rin hated conversing with this human in particular, he had to at least act like he was open to discussion, "Which question?"

"Does your father treat you cruelly?"`

Rin glanced at Shiro but quickly looked away when he noticed that Shiro was looking at him. Why did he keep questioning Rin on his familial relationships? And what did humans even consider to be cruel behavior, a smack on the wrist?

"My father is not a cruel person." Rin replied honestly.

"That's not what I asked."

"Why does his treatment of me matter to you?"

"Because you're an enigma, Rin. I'm trying to understand you better. Is it true that you were physically punished because you spoke out of turn?"

At that question, memories that Rin had long tried to repress resurfaced. Him, no older than eleven, following his father and his fathers' advisors to the war room. The bubbling feelings of excitement and pride as he was finally old enough to sit in on a meeting, albeit he must remain quiet. Listening to his father with interest as he pointed to different regions of the Empire on a map, discussing future war campaigns. His father mentioning that Rin and his siblings will be attending a public execution of rebel spies that were discovered in the Empire. Rin, oh so foolishly asking if they could spare the rebels so that he wouldn't have to watch them die. The silence of the room following his question, and his father's face. Not one of anger, but one devoid of any emotion at all. Being told to wait alone in the throne room after the meeting was adjourned.

Rin had counted seventeen lashes of the whip before he lost consciousness. While his father was not the one that held the whip, he did watch as it happened. The following morning, after Rin's blood had been scrubbed clean from the floors, Lucifer reprimanded Rin for his poor behavior but also tended to his already-healing injuries.

"To question him is to defy the Empire." Rin said simply, not giving Shiro a proper answer to the question. Rin had received the punishment that he deserved, he understood that now. At the time, however, he had cried himself to sleep wondering what he had done to deserve it.

Shiro and Rin soon found themselves standing on the outside of the two beautifully carved ornate doors that led to Arthur's office. Rin was unsure of how long it had been since he was first here, the passage of time was impossible to tell from his cell.

Standing in front of the doors was a lone guard. Rin recognized it as the one who had previously knocked Rin to the ground and beaten him. His name was Bon, right?

Bon gave Rin a dark look but said nothing. It was clear that he was trying to stare Rin down, but Rin didn't even bother looking back at him. Instead, Rin chose to admire the ornate doors directly in front of him. They had intricate gold scrolling that was either real gold or painted to look real, it was hard to tell.

"Hello Bon, we're here to speak to Arthur." Shiro explained.

Bon nodded, "I figured as much. He's currently meeting with Mephisto, but they should be done relatively soon."

Shiro was content with that answer, so they stood there and waited until the doors eventually opened. Mephisto waltzed out, swinging his umbrella in a circular motion.

"My, my~ are you finally behaving?" Mephisto cooed upon seeing Rin. "What have we learned?"

"Perhaps cooperation is the only way forward," Rin said in an even tone, fantasizing wrapping his hands around Mephisto's neck and squeezing.

"Is that so?" Mephisto prompted, clearly enjoying himself.

Shiro's eyebrow quirked at the odd interaction between the two demon brothers. Shiro then spoke up, "I should have guessed that you'd be here. Was there something that you needed from us?"

"Something I needed…?" Mephisto echoed, thoughtfully, "I haven't a _need_ for anything at all. I just came here to pay Arthur and my younger brother a much-needed visit. We spoke a while back and I wanted to check up on his wellbeing."

"I doubt that." Rin said before he could help himself.

"Ah~ the cold shoulder. You wound me, truly." Mephisto grabbed at his chest in mock pain, even curling in on himself slightly for emphasis.

"I'm sure that you'll survive."

"You're no fun," Mephisto pouted. "Well I had best be off, I'm expected back at the Empire. I already explained the current situation to Arthur, of course, if you have any questions Shiro."

Shiro nodded in acknowledgement.

Rin's heart picked up pace. He had so many questions but dared not to ask. Mephisto may be his brother, but he was also a traitor. Still… Mephisto had been back to the Empire since his kidnapping. Was Lucifer okay after the attack? Was their father searching for him?

Thinking better of it, Rin held his tongue and watched quietly as Mephisto bade goodbye any waltzed out of the room. Instead of lingering on questions, Rin thought to the meeting ahead of him. Without Mephisto's help, getting a message out to his father and siblings would be very difficult, but he could try to negotiate. Maybe in exchange for information, he could ask for an hour outside of his cell every day or even once a week. That could be a potential opportunity to send out a message. There were so many things to consider, and yet his time to speak was fast approaching. As they stepped into the office, Rin took a deep breath, something he would need to stay afloat as negotiating was a river he had seldom waded in before.


End file.
